Julia McKenzie stars as Agatha Christie's deceptively demure Miss Marple, whose razor-sharp detective skills disarm even the wiliest criminals. Episodes include A Pocket Full of Rye, in which her former maid's death and a wealthy businessman's murder on the same estate put Jane and Inspector Neele hot on the trail of a serial nursery-rhyme killer. Plus Murder is Easy, They Do It with Mirrors, and Why Didn't They Ask Evans?

We were hesitate to purchase anything other than Joan Hickson because we were such big fans of hers, but needless to say we owned all her material. Then we happen to catch Mckenzie on...Read complete review

We were hesitate to purchase anything other than Joan Hickson because we were such big fans of hers, but needless to say we owned all her material. Then we happen to catch Mckenzie on TV on day and fell in love with her as Miss Marple. Believe me, if she could pass my husband and myself as critics, she can pass anyone. We loved her work, and we have always loved anything that is Agatha Christie.

Julia McKenzie is a wonderful Miss Marple -- steady, assured, wise. She has a twinkle in her eye and a sly smile on her face. The writing is strong with some of England's best actors delivering fine performances.

While not as good as the earlier Marple shows from the 1980's, these are still well done dramas. One difference, in a couple of the shows they put Miss Marple in Christie stories that did not include Miss Marple. I liked this, as the Marple stories have already been done. Some extras help the DVD's.

I think Julia McKenzie is exactly right for the character of Miss Marple. She is a delightful actress, and she plays the quick-witted, rational, worldly-wise, pleasant-mannered, proper old lady to a T. The movies are beautifully staged and directed, and all the other characters are extremely well-cast. I love Matthew Macfadyen as the inspector in A Pocket Full of Rye. The only reason I gave this series 4 stars, and not 5, is that there are extra scenes on the DVD that were not in the version broadcast on TV or the internet, and some of these scenes had gratuitous sex which made the movie raunchy in a way that seemed completely inappropriate to me. I liked the broadcast versions much better! That said, the movies are still excellent.